Cashing in on rakhi spirit

Courier companies are laughing all the way to the bank with business picking up, thanks to Raksha Bandhan.

While some firms are offering attractive discounts to rake in customers, some have started allowing the till-recently banned sweets and condiments.

Jagdish Sahu, a student of Jamshedpur Workers’ College in Mango, who was sending a rakhi to his elder sister at Jabalpur, summed up the general sentiment — spending a bit more to ensure timely and proper delivery of rakhis was of paramount importance.

“This is a sentimental thing. Since my sister cannot leave her children and come to Jamshedpur I send rakhis by courier. This year I have also managed to send sweets though I could not do it last year,” said Jagdish.

A survey among leading courier companies in Jamshedpur revealed that there was a surge in booking of consignments, more than 20 to 30 per cent of normal, since the last week of July.

Overnite Express city branch proprietor Abhishek Bajaj said cash bookings increased by about 30 per cent at this time of the year.

“It does not alter our profit margin, but the bookings do increase by a significant margin. We send rakhis under parcel category and a special tariff has been kept at Rs 60 for 500gm. We have also allowed sweets and gifts along with rakhis this year following directives from our head office,” he said.

First Flight Couriers Limited is giving a special festival discount of 10 per cent for only rakhi consignments.

Said Ranjeet Kumar Choudhary, operation manager of First Flight Couriers: “We have 70 per cent corporate clients and only 30 per cent over the counter (cash) customers. It is the over the counter customers that swell during rakhi.

He, however, added that they were not allowing sweets and other perishable commodities.